Explanation
The resources needed to develop and implement a new idea are key variables in establishing a business case and gaining approval. Lack of resources can be a significant barrier to innovation when it means trying to justify extra expenditure in the face of expectations about efficiency. However, there are often existing resources that can be applied to a good idea, so this fourth theme is focused on the gap between the resources that are needed and the resources that already exist.
- Technical resources consist of functional expertise, system expertise, and domain expertise
- Administrative resources consist of the know-how to manage planning, organisational issues, staff relations and leadership, negotiating, project management and communications
- Operational resources are investments in space, equipment and systems
- Human resources consist of the number and types of staff required
- Financial resources are the budget allocations to develop and implement your idea.
The amount and types of resources depend on the sophistication of your idea and the nature of the problem it faces. Having a balance of skills and experience is just as important as depth of expertise in particular areas. Exactly which skills and experience are important can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. The overriding premise is that the circumstances of your idea dictate the resources you need to implement it. You should also make a serious and frank assessment of your own personal skills and experience compared with what your idea may require.
If you have control over the right mix of resources, then you are in a position to implement your idea. Resources represent the fundamental building blocks of your business case. Not all resources, however, are strategically important. While common resources, such as office space, are necessary to carry out most normal day-to-day activities, it is critical resources, such as key technical expertise, that matter most in evaluating the feasibility of your idea.
16. Technical resources
The gap between what is available and what is needed for my idea calls for…
- a. no additional technical expertise
b. modest additional technical expertise
c. moderate additional technical expertise
d. significant additional technical expertise
e. a high level of additional technical expertise.
Do you have the technical resources needed to implement your idea or will you need to acquire them? There are three dimensions of technical expertise and you need to be clear about which ones you need.
- Functional expertise consists of the skills and experience needed to carry out a job. These are learned job skills such as how to test for water quality or how to interrogate a data base
- System expertise consists of a thorough understanding of the idea itself and the skills and experience needed to create and maintain technical performance
- Domain expertise is knowledge about the technical expectations of stakeholders and the technological environment in which a new idea will operate.
Some ideas are straightforward and require little technical input. However, even low technology ideas require some technical expertise. It is easy to underestimate the degree of technical sophistication involved in a project, especially if you lack technical expertise or you haven’t been through the implementation process before.
Despite the technical requirements inherent in embracing changes in information and communications technology, there is a big risk in not embracing it. Public sector organisations that are slow to implement the new technology will be under increasing pressure to do so. Information and communications technology is an essential ingredient for many new ideas and it is going to be a critical technical resource in most aspects of public sector innovation.
17. Administrative resources
The gap between what is available and what is needed for my idea calls for…
- a. no additional administrative expertise
b. modest additional administrative expertise
c. moderate additional administrative expertise
d. significant additional administrative expertise
e. a high level of additional administrative expertise.
One of the lessons that public sector innovators learn is that the administrative skills and knowledge needed to manage an on-going project are usually different from those needed to develop the initial idea. Perhaps the greatest skill of all is to know one’s own personal limitations. The focus in this question is on the various administrative resources needed to manage the development, implementation and ongoing operation of your idea, including:
- Planning
- Organisational issues
- Staff relations and leadership
- Negotiating
- Project management
- Communications
Administrative expertise underpins the way in which a public sector organisation goes about managing its tasks. Some operations consist of repeating relatively straightforward tasks that only require basic administrative resources. Other operations are more complex, and some are so highly complicated and completely different each time they occur that they require a very high level of administrative expertise. Administrative expertise is more likely to be a critical factor for a new, inexperienced, or under-financed public sector organisation and you need to assess which administrative functions are going to be critical to the development, implementation and ongoing operation of your idea.
18. Operational resources
The gap between what is available and what is needed for my idea calls for…
- a. no further operational resources.
b. modest additional operational resources.
c. moderate additional operational resources.
d. significant additional operational resources.
e. very significant additional operational resources.
Operational resources are the space, equipment and systems required to develop and implement your idea. Most new initiatives are short on operational resources. Before you start thinking about plush new premises or expensive new furniture, give some thought to all of the operational resources you will need.
- Location - especially when location constitutes an important element in your idea.
- Premises - including offices and facilities in which services are provided.
- Equipment - required for delivering a service or setting up an office.
- Transport - including cars, trucks or specialised vehicles.
- Storage facilities - for supplies and materials.
- Computer systems - including the integration of operating and financial information systems.
- Other operational resources.
Many of these are common operational resources that are required for most functions. Critical operational resources, however, are not common and include things like a particular location or state-of-the-art equipment. The need for operational resources can be substantial for some ideas and modest for others, with obvious implications for developing a business case.
19. Human resources
The gap between what is available and what is needed for my idea calls for…
- a. no additional human resources
b. modest additional human resources
c. moderate additional human resources
d. significant additional human resources
e. very significant additional human resources.
Can you make use of existing staff to implement your idea? An untrained person in a position requiring specific knowledge is a liability and a source of future expense when you have to replace them. Filling a job with an over-qualified person can also be a waste of talent and money as well as a likely source of frustration for the staff concerned.
Will the people who are currently available have the right combination of skills and experience? Do you need to provide training? Problems like these may not be apparent until operations are well underway. Will you need to make new appointments?
- How many new staff positions will be needed?
- What duties and functions must they be able to perform?
- What knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications are required?
- Must new staff be fully qualified before being appointed or can they learn on the job?
You can leverage your existing staff by contracting for some tasks to be performed by an outside organisation. This enables you to focus on your core competencies while gaining access to resources in other areas. Outsourcing may be less expensive than trying to undertake some tasks yourself because the supplier has economies of scale giving you cost-effective access to their expertise. Outsourcing is also a way to gain temporary access to people with the right skills without having to appoint them and it can make the implementation of your idea more flexible by giving you quick access to specialised staff.
20. Financial resources
The gap between what is available and what is needed for my idea calls for…
- a. a. no further financial resources.
b. modest additional financial resources
c. moderate additional financial resources
d. significant additional financial resources
e. very significant additional financial resources.
Nearly all projects, even small ones, need some funding to make them happen. Make a rough estimate of what you think your idea is going to cost, and then identify the ways in which you could get it funded.
- What do you think it will cost to develop and implement your idea?
- What funds do you have available?
- What further funding will you need?
- What are the funding opportunities including your own organisation, other government organisations, private sponsorship or grants?
- What are the benefits and value of your idea for each potential sponsor or funding organisation?
- What sort of in-kind support might be available from interested parties?
- What alternatives or modifications could you make to your idea if you are unable to attract enough funding?
- How will you will manage the funds and report on expenditure?
Many public sector innovators underestimate the financial commitment that is required to make the transition between the initial idea and successful implementation. This is understandable because the level of financial commitment is relatively modest during the early stages of the innovation process, but it increases dramatically during the latter stages. Most of the expenditure required to develop, refine and implement an idea will not be known until after the business case is completed.
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